Falcons' Kyle Pitts gets $13 million per year contract update from NFL writer

Billy Heyen

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Falcons' Kyle Pitts gets $13 million per year contract update from NFL writer image

Kyle Pitts has rarely lived up to the hype of his rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons.

But now five years into his NFL career, finally on the verge of free agency, the talented tight end is still looking at a strong payday.

Pitts didn't hurt his cause with a career night a few weeks ago, and his physical tools remain tantalizing.

The Ringer's Austin Gayle thinks the floor for Pitts is between $11 and $13 million per year, and it wouldn't be surprising to see it go higher.

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That's if the Falcons don't use the franchise tag.

"It would make sense for the Falcons to try their best to keep Pitts after his resurgence, even if that means using the franchise tag on him, but if he does test the market, his salary floor likely starts around $11 million to $13 million per year—similar to recent deals for Juwan Johnson ($10.25 million), Evan Engram ($11.5 million), and Jake Ferguson ($12.5 million)," Gayle writes.

Pitts, Gayle writes, was never going to live up to all the hype.

"The hype for Pitts was always too much," Gayle writes. "He was labeled a generational tight end prospect at age 20 and was drafted before Ja’Marr Chase and Penei Sewell. Things started off well when Pitts caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards as a rookie in Matt Ryan’s last year in Atlanta, but his career stalled because of injuries and bad quarterback play. Former head coach Arthur Smith was inconsistent in how he chose to feature Pitts in the offense week to week, if he did at all."

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Pitts is certainly a guy worth keeping around for the Falcons if they feel good about his relationship with Michael Penix.

But if Atlanta has decided that they've had enough of the Pitts roller coaster, maybe an expensive change of scenery will be good for him.

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Staff Writer